Our 50 semifinalists are from all over the state; every county is represented. No part of the state was ignored. In this installment, we'll visit two neighborhood bakery legends in Central Jersey, an old-school bread baker in Hoboken, a cantucci specialist in Jersey City, not one but two Argentinian bakeries, the country's largest Turkish bakery and maybe the state's best crumb cake. Don't know what cantucci is? You're about to find out.

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Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Randazzo's Pastry Shop, Raritan Borough

Randazzo's started on the island — Staten Island, that is — where a shop operated for ten years before the family opened its Raritan Borough location. A donut and coffee at Randazzo's was often my Sunday morning pre-softball game meal when I played in nearby county parks.

It's a perpetually busy neighborhood bakery, where Technicolor strawberry and peach-topped cakes glisten in the display case and you can wolf down a Momma Supreme or Adam Bomb hero from the deli. Save a donut or pastry for dessert.

"Just so you know, I canceled my baby's doctor appointment for you,'' Marie Anderson (left in photo) said as I walked into Mendoker's. The bakery's cake decorator is five months pregnant, and we're betting the baby will be introduced to the bakery's treats asap; mom had her own first birthday cake made here.

There was community-wide shock when Mendoker's announced it was closing for good a year ago. Fortunately, a guardian angel named Faye Tian - she's a financial advisor - stepped in and kept the bakery open; Ed Mendoker still works here.

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Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

That monster dessert on my car dashboard in the photo is merely an eclair from Mendoker's. I also sampled cannoli, an almond bulls-eye, tiramisu, raspberry lemon cigar, brownie, cheese danish and more.